American History and Genealogy Project

General Description of the United
States

The United
States of America occupy the middle division of North America,
and are bounded north by British and Russian America; east by
New Brunswick and the Atlantic ocean; south by the Gulf of
Mexico, Texas, and Mexico; and west by the Pacific ocean. It
lies between 25° and 54° of north latitude, and between 66° 50'
and 125° west longitude from Greenwich; or between 9° 35' east,
and 48° 20' west longitude from Washington. Its greatest length
is 3,000 miles, and its greatest breadth is 1,700 miles,
containing about 2,300,000 square miles. It has a frontier line
of about 10,000 miles; a sea coast of 3,600; and a lake coast of
1,200 miles. It contains about one twentieth of the habitable
land of the whole earth. The population in 1790 was 3,929,328;
in 1800, 5,309,758; in 1810, 7,239,903; in 1820, 9,638,166; in
1830, 12,856,165; in 1840, 17,062,666; of which 2,487,113 were
slaves. Employed in agriculture. 3,717,756; in commerce,
117,575; in manufactures and trades, 791,545; navigating the
ocean, 56,025; navigating rivers, lakes, canals, &c, 33,067; in
mining, 15,203; learned professions, 65,236.

The territory of the United States is
divided into 26 states and three territories, each of which has
a separate government, and the District of Columbia. The
following is a list of the states, which are divided into the
northern or eastern, the middle, the southern, and the western,
their population in 1840, and their
capitals.

Washington, on the Potomac River, in
the District of Columbia, is the capital of the United States,
and became such in the year 1800.

The country has every variety of
surface and of soil. It has two principal, and a number of les-ser
ranges of mountains. The two principal are the Alleghany and the
Rocky mountains. The Alleghany mountains commence in the south,
in Alabama, and run in a northeast direction, generally in a
number of separate ridges, with a breadth of from 60 to 120
miles, and at a distance from the sea coast of from 250 to 80
miles, and terminate in the Catskill mountains, on the west of
Hudson River. The general height of the Alleghany range is about
2,000 or 3,000 feet above the level of the ocean, but not more
than one half of this above the level of their base. The highest
peak in this range is Black mountain, in the west part of North
Carolina, which is 6,476 feet Round Top, the highest peak of the
Catskill mountains, is 3,804 feet.

The Rocky mountains may be regarded
as a part of the great chain of the Cordilleras, and extend from
Mexico to 70° north latitude, running at an average distance of
600 miles from the Pacific, and with a general height of about
9,000 feet, though some peaks are much higher. Some have
estimated them from 20 to 25,000 feet.

The Green mountains commence near New
Haven, in Connecticut, and run north through this state,
Massachusetts, and Vermont, to Canada. Mansfield Mountain, the
highest peak, in a town of the same name, in Vermont, is 4,280
feet high.

The White Mountains in New Hampshire
are very elevated, the highest peak, Mount Washington, being
6,128 feet high. West of Lake Champlain, in the state of New
York, are some high mountains, the highest peak of which, Mount
Marcy, is 5,460 feet.

The waters west of the Rocky
Mountains generally flow into the Pacific, though north of the
United States, Unjigah, or Peace River, passes this great
barrier, and enters the Northern Ocean. The Mississippi, with
its great tributaries, drains the country between the Rocky and
Alleghany mountains, excepting a few of an inferior class, which
flow into the great northern lakes. East of the Alleghanies, the
rivers flow into the Atlantic Ocean. A great portion of the vast
valley of the Mississippi is level, or moderately uneven. The
surface of the Eastern, or New England states, is hilly or
mountainous. The Atlantic coast south of Long Island, to the
distance generally of 100 miles from the ocean, is a sandy
plain, but little elevated above the level of the ocean. But
back of this, the country is hilly, until it rises into
mountains.

The soil of New England, with the
exception of the valley of the Connecticut River, is generally
rocky and rough, though in some parts fertile, better adapted to
grazing than to grain. The low country on the Atlantic coast has
a light and rather barren soil, excepting on the margins of the
rivers; but the hilly country back of this is fertile. The soil,
generally, in the valley of the Mississippi, is fertile. But
toward the Rocky Mountains, the country is barren; though the
extensive prairies are adapted to grazing, as is proved by the
vast herds of buffaloes which have found subsistence there. The
soil west of the Rocky Mountains is in some parts fertile, but
generally but moderately productive.

Beef, pork, butter, and cheese are
the principal productions of the Eastern states; though grains
of various kinds are raised for home consumption. Wheat is the
staple of the Middle states. In the northern portion of the
Southern states, wheat and tobacco are chiefly cultivated; and
further smith, cotton, rice, and sugar. Throughout the United
States, Indian corn, an indigenous grain, is extensively
cultivated, and forms a most important crop. (For the
Agricultural statistics, see the particular states.)

Among the minerals, iron ore, coal,
limestone, and salt are exceedingly abundant. The lead region in
Missouri, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Iowa, is probably the finest
in the world. Gold is found to a considerable extent in
Virginia, North Carolina, and Georgia; and marble and gypsum are
very extensive.

Extending, as the United States does,
through 20 degrees of latitude, differing greatly in different
parts in the elevation of its surface, it must, of course, have
a great variety of climate. In the northern part, it is subject
to great extremes of heat and cold, but the climate is generally
healthy. In the southern portion, along the Atlantic coast, and
the Gulf of Mexico, the climate from July to November is
unhealthy. The elevated portion of the country is generally
healthy The Western states, with the exception of some low and
marshy portions have a fine and salubrious climate.

The two largest lakes which lie
wholly in the United States are Michigan, 330 miles long and 60
broad; and Champlain, 120 miles long and 15 broad. But the great
lakes Superior, 380 miles long, and 130 broad; Huron, 240 by
150; Erie, 240 by 60; and Ontario, 190 by 55, are one half in
the United States, the boundary passing through the middle of
them. There are many smaller lakes, for an account of which, see
the particular states.

The Gulf of Mexico, on the south of
the United States, is a large branch of the Atlantic Ocean,
which receives the waters from the great Mississippi valley The
Chesapeake, Delaware, Massachusetts, and Penobscot are the
largest bays. The principal sounds are Long Island, Albemarle,
and Pamlico. The principal capes are Cape Ann, Cod, May,
Henlopen, Charles, Henry, Hatteras, Lookout, Fear, and Sable.

Among the principal harbors,
proceeding from north to south, are Portland, Portsmouth,
Boston, Newport, New London, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore,
Norfolk, Charleston, Savannah, Mo-bile, and New Orleans.